Dual mode searchlights are used in rotorcraft to provide both visible lighting and infrared (IR) lighting modes, depending on the task and conditions the rotorcraft is operating under. U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,272 to Snyder et al. titled “Searchlight For Aircraft And Other Vehicles,” herein incorporated by reference, describes an exemplary visible and infrared lighting element in a lamp head that may be extended, retracted, and rotated. Both light sources, however, are within the same lamp head (and the same lamp face), so that heat generated from the visible light source is not dissipated sufficiently to prevent degradation of the IR light source due to high temperatures generated by the heat from the visible light source. U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,423 to Hamilton et al. titled “Multi-mode Searchlight,” herein incorporated by reference, describes a multi-mode visible and infrared lighthead for use as a landing light or searchlight. The design includes a separate reflector which must be attached to the housing, and which increases maintenance costs and time.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved dual-mode searchlight.